Eye exercising and testing device



2 Sheets- Sheet 1 I R. s. HoRN EYE ExER'cIsING AND TEsTI1-w1-1 xvIcEy Filed April 18. 1941 Jan. 26, 1943.

Jan. 26, 1943. labs.y HORN. 2,309,508

EYE EXERCISING AND TESTING DEVICE Filed Apljl. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVEN-roR l ober-1' Hof-n Wawy-7M Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEf 2,309,508 C EYE EXERCItSrlNG AND TESTlNG DIjlYICE Robert S. Horn, San Francisco, Calif., assignor of one-half to Aaron S. Green and Martin I. Green, San Francisco, Calif.,y jointly Application April 18, 1941, Serial No. 389,104 31 Claims. (Cl. 12S-76.5)

This invention relates to eyeV testing and exercising devices and is concerned more particularly with the provision of an improved device of this character, which will perform the eye exercising function in a simple and reliable manner land which can be easily adjusted to accommodate persons having different physical characteristics.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved eye testing and exercising de-j` vice.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eye testing and exercising device O f the stereopticon type wherein the stereoscopic images are supported in a simple and reliable fashion on the device to enable adjustment thereof to the desired position and to preventV viewing of the wrong image by either eye. n

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to in which the amplitude of the reciprocating movement of the lens or prism holders can be adjusted independently of the initial adjustment of suh holders to the eye spacing of the patient.

Another object of the inventionyis, to provide a novel and eiective drive mechanism vfor reciprocating the lens or .prism holders of devices of the character referred to.

vOther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a device embodying the invention, the plane o f the View being indicated by the line l-l in Figure Figure 2 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the drive means as indicated by the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of the adjusting mechanism for the drive, the view being taken in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

' Figure 4 is a sectional elevation showing the mounting and arrangement of the lens and prism holders, the View being taken as indicated by the line 4 4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a View of the lens and prism holders in their relation to their adjusting and drive means. The view is taken as indicated by the line 5 5 in Figure 1.

The device of the instant invention is designed to test for and correct by means of exercise, muscular defects of the eyes of the character which result in a misalignment of the lines of sight'from the respective eyes compared with that of a person having normal eyesight.

Generally, the machine comprises a chart holder having respective right and left eye sections for receiving stereoscopic reproductions of the same image or indicia for viewing from a suitable sight station having respective right and left eye sight devices in which suitable prisms and lens holders are provided. The chart holder is adjustably supported with respect to the sight devices by means of a linkage which also provides a screen between the two lines of sight. Preferably the sight devices are adjustable laterally to the horizontal spacing between the eyes of the patient. Then each sight device holder can be reciprocated back and forth to either side of this adjusted position to a desired extent to exercise and train the defective muscles of the eyes. f

With the above general description in mind and referring to the drawings, the device includes a base l0 upon `which a casing il is mounted. At one side of the casing a viewing or Sight Station is povided at I2 from which charts held by the respective sections of the chart holder i3 may be viewed. The chart holder i3 is adjustable with respect to a scale `lli secured on the casing Ii. Scale It reads in terms of distances from the viewing station.`

The chart holder I3 may be lof any suitable construction and is supported with respect to the viewing station by means of an extensible linkage which also forms a screen to prevent the right eye from viewingthe left eye-chart and the left eye from viewing the right eye chart. Preferably this extensible linkage takes the form of a lazy tongs linkage I6 which extends between the chart holder I3 and a standard Il supported on'the frame of the device 'in a suitable manner.

At a viewing station I2 respective prism holders 2i and2la ofconventional construction are provided upon respective supports or carriers 22 4and 22a. The prisms are cap'able'of 'rotative adjustment in their holders in the usual fashion to enable the desired relationship between each prism and the associated eye. Conventionalflens holders 23 and 23a are also provided on the carriers 22 and 22a. l

The carriers 22 and 22a vfor theV sight devices are similar and' similarly mounted.v Carrier 22,

for example, is `in -the form of a plate which ex.

tends downwardly through a slot 24 in the casing'and is provided with respective rollers 26 which engage respective upperV and lower grooves 2l in' a transverse'track orV bar ,28 supported by standards 2 9 on kthe base of the machine. The transverse'spacingapart of the pairs of rollers 26insures' evenfsmooth movement of the `carrier as it'is reciprocated ba'cl and' forth by ymeans later described." Adjacent their lower ends' each o'f"carri`er' `plates l22'an'd'22'a, is provided'witha pair of guide rollers 3| which engage opposite faces of a track formed in a channel 32 which extends between the standards 29. Because of the spacing and arrangement of rollers 26 and 3l, the carriers 22 and 22a are controlled for even, uniform reciprocation without deflection from the desired linear path.

The respective carriers 22 and 22a are urged towards each other by a tension spring 36 connected between respective studs 31 on the respective plates. inward movement of the sight` device carriers under the iniiuence of spring 36, each sight device carrier is provided with-an arm 38 pivoted thereon at'39 and having a roller M engaging a straight cam face 42 of an actuating slide 43 referred to hereinafter. Each arm 33 is also provided with an ear 44 which is engaged by the end of a set screw 46 which is threaded in nut 41 on the associated carrier plate 22 or 22a. Screw'li is also journalled in a boss 053 on the carrierplate. The knurled handle t9 and 39a of each set screw extends exteriorly of the casing. By adjustment of the set screws at the initial spacing apart of the sight devices 2i and 2|a can be controlled. The adjusted position of such sight devices can be read by means of indicesv I against respective scales 52 cn a scale plate 53 carried by the frame of the machine.

As previously stated, the sight device carriers are reciprocated back and forth in opposite directions fortan equal amount of travel by vertical reciprocation of the actuating slide 133. Also the extent of this travel to either side of the initially adjusted position is controlled by varying the throw of the actuating slide 43. Slide i3 (Figure 1) is carried by means of studs 56 on a collar 51 slidable upon an upright shaft 58 depending from the cross piece 28. Slide i3 (Figures 1 and 5)Y has pivoted thereto at 6i a pitman 62 which is pivotally connected at G3 to a slide 64 carried in a grooved disc 66. Disc Gt has its hubsuitably securedupon a hollow shaft E51 driven in any suitable fashion from a constant speed electric motor G8.

Inorder to adjust the amount of eccentricity of the pivot 63 for the pitman 62 and correspondingly the extent of throw of the actuating slide 43, the hollow shaft 61 (Figures 2 and 3) receives an' adjusting rod 1| which carries a pinion 12 meshing witha rack 13'secured on slide S4. Ex.- teriorly of the casing, shaft 1l carries an adjusting knob 14 which reads with reference to a scale member 16 suitably secured upon the shaft 61. Adjusting rod 1! normally rotateswith shaft 61 so that the selected adjustment made is not disturbed during operation.

In operation, the person is seated in front of the testing device with his eyes at the level of theviewing station l2 and suitable charts bearing stereoscopic images are placed in the opposite sections of the chart holder I3. Holder I3 is adjusted at a suitable distance for the vision of the person being tested. The adjusting In order to control and limit the' motor is started. On reciprocation of the actuating slide 53, the sight devices both travel outwardly and inwardly for the desired extent so that the prisms are caused to travel back and forth in front of the eyes of the person to exercise the muscles in the desired fashion. If desired the adjustment of the spacing between the screws'li and 49a, which have respective right and left hand threads, are then adjusted so that the prism holders 2l and Zia and lens holders 23 and 23a are aligned in the desired manner with the eyes of the person. The position of the rotatively adjustable'prisms in the prism sight devices by means of screws 49 and 49a may be carried out with the device in operation.

' As previously stated during use of the device as described above, the lazy tongs linkage provides an effective screen for the lines of sight from the eyes of the person. In other words, the dimensions of the bars of the lazy tongs linkage as to length, width and thickness are so selected that a line of sight from either eye of a person using the device cannot pass through the openings between the bars even in an extended position of the linkage. For example with a linkage providing an extension from a 4" closed length to a 16 open length, satisfactory 'screening is obtained with bars having a length (between the outer pivotal centers) of 3%", a width of and a thickness to provide an overall linkage thickness of ses. Y

I claim:

1. In an eye testing and exercising device having a frame and'means for supporting indicia for viewing by the right and left eyes of a person, respective right and left eye sight devices, a pair of supports for `said sight devices, means mounting said supports for back-and-forth movement, an arm pivoted on each support, an actuating slide having opposite cam surfaces, rollers on said arms engaging said cam surfaces, and means for controlling the adjusted position of each of lsaid arms, whereby to adjust the position of each of said supports with respect to said actuating slide. 4

2. In an eye testing and exercising device having a frame and means for supporting indicia for viewing by the right and left eyes of a person, respective right and left eye sight devices, a pair of supports for said sight devices, means mounting said supports for back-and-forth movement, an arm pivoted on each support, an actuating slide'having opposite cam surfaces, rollers on said arms engaging said cam surfaces, means vfor controlling thefadjusted position of each of said arms, whereby to adjust the position of each of said supports with respect to said actuating slide, and means for effecting a cyclic reciprocation of said slide.

3. In an eye testing and exercising device having a frame and means `for supporting indicia for viewing by the right and left eyes of a person, respective right and left eye sight devices, a pair of supports for said sight devices, means mounting said supports for b'ack-and-forth movement, an arm pivoted on each support, an-actuating slide having opposite cam surfaces, rollers on said arms engaging said cam surfaces, means for controlling the adjusted position of each of said arms, whereby to adjust the position of each of said supports with respec't'to said 'actuating slide, and means foreifecting a vcyclic reciprocation of said slide including means for varying the extent of the reciprocation.

ROBERT s. HORN. 

